In addition, this volunteer group also meets, advises, persuades, and takes care of people who have made mistakes to fight for the lives of little creatures.
Collected and buried more than 30,000 fetuses
"At first, I was very scared. The fetuses were still red, and many of them were not even physically intact. However, thinking about the unfortunate fate of these little creatures, I had more motivation to go and do it," Nguyen Van Than (22 years old), a final year student at a university in Vinh City, Nghe An Province - leader of the Faustina Life Protection Group (under the management of the Caritas Social Charity Board, Vinh Diocese) recounted the first days of collecting fetuses for burial.
Group members light candles and pray at the common grave of the fetuses.
According to Than, the Faustina Life Protection Group currently has more than 100 members, both male and female. The youngest are in high school, the oldest are men and women in their fifties or sixties, but the majority are Catholic students. One of the group’s main activities over the years has been to collect unfortunate fetuses and take them to the cemetery for burial.
The predecessor of the current group is the "Protect Life John Paul II" group. The group was founded by a number of Catholic students in 2007 but only operated spontaneously and was not under the management of the Vinh Diocese.
Cao Thach Cemetery is located in the territory of Nghi Phong and Nghi Thach communes of Nghi Loc district. Through our understanding, we learned about the voluntary activity of collecting and burying fetuses. This is a meaningful and practical activity, very commendable.
Mr. Nguyen Dinh Ly, Vice Chairman of Nghi Phong Commune People's Committee, Nghi Loc District
The idea of establishing the group was initiated after a male student witnessed a fully formed fetus being abandoned on the side of the road. The group convinced a household in Xuan Hong commune (Nghi Xuan district, Ha Tinh province) to give them a plot of land on the hill, then together built the cemetery with contributions of cement, bricks, and stones from kind-hearted volunteers.
By 2014, after burying nearly 50,000 fetuses, the group disbanded for various reasons. However, just a few days later, the Faustina Life Protection Group was established, continuing the similar work of its predecessors. This time, the group requested a plot of land in Cao Thach cemetery (a cemetery bordering Nghi Phong and Nghi Thach communes) to serve as a resting place for the fetuses.
"Over the past 10 years, the group has buried more than 30,000 fetuses at this cemetery. The funerals were held with full rituals like those of adults. We went to get wood and made the coffins ourselves," Than said.
Still on the road at midnight
Five years ago, Dang Quang Hoang (23 years old, from Do Luong, Nghe An) learned about the Faustina Life Protection Group through social media and community activities. Hoang quickly volunteered and became an active member.
The fetuses were put into coffins to be buried. Photo: VT
Hoang said: "At first, I was very scared when I followed the brothers and sisters collecting fetuses. But then I felt pity, which helped me overcome my fear. Many times, the abandoned fetuses were very big, with all their parts. I touched them and they were still warm. At that time, I just felt sorry."
The memory that Hoang remembers most is on the evening of the 28th of Tet 2022. Because it was close to Tet, everyone had gone home so he went alone. That day it was raining heavily, Hoang ran to the hospitals and collected 50 fetuses.
"Seeing people rushing to shop for Tet and then return home to be with their families, I feel even more sorry for the children. I hope that all children are born with love, and that abortion will be limited, so that we no longer have to do this work," Hoang said.
According to Than and Hoang, in the early years of operation, the group members had to grope around looking for abandoned fetuses in trash bins at hospitals and clinics in Vinh City. Many times, they were mistaken for thieves or chased away by security guards. After many years of operation, many clinics and hospitals have learned about the group, and each time a fetus is abandoned, they will proactively call the group to come and receive it.
"Almost every day, we receive phone calls from clinics and hospitals. There are even calls in the middle of the night, and the group members are ready to go. Many times, we encounter curious looks from people around us. Some people even say we are crazy, but we don't care what they think," Than said.
Fighting for the lives of fetuses
In addition to waiting for phone calls from familiar locations, the group will go to medical facilities four times a week to actively search and collect. Each time, the group members say to each other: "We just hope the trip will be fruitless and that we won't encounter any abandoned fetuses."
Over the past 10 years, more than 30,000 unfortunate fetuses have been collected and buried properly.
Not only collecting and burying fetuses, over the years, the Faustina pro-life group has also been a shelter for those who have made mistakes.
"After many years of operation, the group has a large network of collaborators. Every time we know someone has made a mistake and intends to have an abortion, we will seek them out to advise and persuade them.
If the person agrees, the group will take them to a shelter to take care of them until they give birth to a month old baby. After the baby is one month old, the mothers will have two options: either bring the baby back, or if they are not qualified to raise the baby, the group will find adoptive parents for the baby, so that the baby can have a better life," Than said.
According to Than, the journey to save the children’s lives is not without its difficulties. Every time they learn that someone is considering an abortion, the group will ask for their phone number and make an appointment, usually at a hospital or clinic.
"However, it is very difficult to meet these people. Hospitals and clinics do not allow strangers in, so we often have to sneak in to meet them or pretend to be relatives. On average, each year, the group convinces about 30 mothers to give up the idea of having an abortion and take them to shelters for care," Than said.
Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/nhom-thien-nguyen-dac-biet-chi-mong-khong-co-viec-192241017235034541.htm
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